


Silverhorn's Song

by Kaywritesfables



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:08:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26963449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaywritesfables/pseuds/Kaywritesfables
Summary: As a rare horned elf, Camyn lived a secluded life deep within the forest near the mountain's edge. But when the day come he's stolen away from his home by humans, he begins to learn of the greed and malice in their hearts towards creatures like himself.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	1. Day 1 - Shackled

**Author's Note:**

> Camyn's story is part of my Whumptober 2020 fics!

“Whoa!”   
The horses slowed to a stop as the hunter pulled tight on the reins. They huffed as he stepped off the cart and tied the reins to a post. He patted one of them on the side of its neck, proud of their strength in bringing in the new haul. He’d feed them once he was finished unloading everything. He made quite the haul today. Game, rabbit, deer, and a few other oddities he managed to get lucky with.   
As he began unloading a few pheasants, he heard rustling in the back of his cart and the sound of soft crying. He growled under his breath, marching over to the net holding one of his live catches. Blue-colored fingers poked out from between the ropes. The hunter pulled out his whip and snapped it against the fingers.   
“Shut it, you little twerp!” The hunter growled at the netted creature. It cried out and pulled its fingers away. “Pl-please sir, please let me go! Let me go home, I wanna go home!”   
“I said,” the hunter hit the creature again with the end of his whip, “Be quiet! One more word out of you, and I’ll put on a muzzle.”   
The creature stopped talking and covered its mouth to keep quiet. The hunter put away his whip and returned to unloading his wares. With all that he collected today, he’d be set for the next month at least.   
A store dealer wearing a leather apron walked out of a nearby shop and came up to the hunter’s cart. A satisfied smile appeared on their face as they saw the amount of supply he brought today. The hunter returned the smile as he saw the dealer walked up.   
“Regis, good to see you!” The dealer shook the hunter’s hand eagerly, “Looks like you’ve made quite the haul.”   
“Yes, Deima, it’s been a few good days,” Regis nodded in agreement.   
“What have you got for me?”   
“Well, I’ve got some duck, goose, pheasant, a few good-sized rabbits. I managed to kill a nice sized stag as well, and found some herbs and mushrooms you might enjoy.”   
“All sounds good.”   
Oh, and I’ve got something else as well. An elf.”   
Deima’s eyebrows raised. “Really? Where’d you find it?”   
“On the edge of Gallows Wood. He got caught in my deer trap. You wanna take a look?”   
Deima nodded and went with Regis to the back of the cart. The net holding the frightened creature still hung in its place. Together, they grabbed the top of the net and unhooked it from the cart, letting the creature fall to the ground with a thud. Regis pulled open the top to reveal the head of a small, blue haired elf with brilliant curved, white horns that snagged on the rope. The elf looked up at the both of them with wide purple eyes filled with fear. He trembled on the ground, tears threatening to spill down his cheeks.   
“Ah,” Deima said in pleasant surprise as they ran their fingers through his hair. “I’ve never seen a blue one before… Or one with horns.”   
They grabbed one of the elf’s horns and twisted his head around. The elf whimpered quietly, still afraid to speak from Regis’ threat earlier. He closed his eyes as Deima grabbed both horns and pulled his head down to look at them more closely. They chuckled under their breath.   
“My, my, look at that,” their thumbs ran over little curved lines of silver in the grooves of the stark white horns. “How interesting… Very interesting.”   
“So he’s valuable?” Regis grew impatient with Deima’s longing looks over the elf. Deima’s eyes snapped up at him. “…Only in that elves aren’t that common around here. I’ve sold a couple in the past, but they didn’t sell for more than 100 silver pieces.”   
“Really?”   
“Really.”   
“So if I take him to any other vendors in town, they’ll say the same thing?”   
“Honestly, I doubt they’d even buy him from you. People just don’t have a reason to buy one around here. You’d have a better chance in the town up north.”   
“I can’t travel that far right now.”   
Deima let go of the elf’s horns and thought for a minute. “How about this? I’ll give you 250 silver pieces for the meat and plants, and 100 gold pieces for the elf. I’ll try and sell it up north here in a few days, and I’ll give you ten percent of whatever price I get on him. Does that sound fair enough?”   
Regis paused as he mulled over the offer. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the elf watching him with frightened eyes. He was growing tired of hearing the small creature’s constant crying and whining. This way, he wouldn’t have to deal with that anymore. Even so, there was a small hesitation in the back of his mind.   
“Please, no…” The elf whispered in a raspy voice and tears ran down his cheeks. Anger shot through Regis before he could even think, and he slapped the elf hard with the back of his hand. He fell to the ground, his arms tangling in the net as he weakly tried to crawl away.   
“Make it twenty-five percent and you’ve got a deal.” Regis grabbed the elf by his horn and pulled him up to his feet as Deima nodded and walked calmly back to their shop. The elf struggled, crying out as his head was jerked around and pulled while Regis removed the net from him. With the net out of the way, Regis grabbed for a spare piece of cloth and forced it past the elf’s teeth, tying it tightly behind his head. He cried out as Regis forced him down to his knees.   
“I’ll finally have enough of your noise, those annoying little whimpers you’re always making.”   
The elf screamed through the rag as Deima came back with shackles. Regis held the elf as Deima came up and locked the iron cuffs around his wrists. They weighed heavy on him, cutting dully into his skin as Regis let go of him and Deima pulled him back to his feet.   
“I’m going to lock him up inside, then I’ll come back to help you unload the rest.” Deima pulled harshly on the chains and the elf stumbled forward, barely catching himself as they led him to the shop.   
The shop itself was full of a variety of different goods, cured meats and woven rope hanging on the walls. Tobacco leaves and herbs stored away in jars, tools and supplies on shelves, even little stores of candy. The elf barely had time to really see any of it before Deima pulled him to the back of their shop and into a tiny storeroom. An iron ring was anchored to the floor, where Deima dragged the elf down and locked the chains in place. The elf looked up at them with pleading eyes, whimpering softly through the gag.   
“Stop your complaining,” Deima snapped at him. They shut the door in the elf’s face, the sound of a key locking it in place and the elf in the dark. The only sources of light came from tiny cracks in the door’s making and the keyhole. The elf sat up on his knees to try and peek through the keyhole. The shackles tugged and pinched the skin on his wrists, and the gag scratched his tongue and palette. Through the keyhole and his tears, he could barely see Regis and Deima bringing in all that Regis collected on his hunt. It was some time before they finally finished, to which Deima finally gathered all of the coin they promised for Regis’ supply. The elf cried as they saw the bag of gold passed off, all that represented his worth in their eyes. Nothing but goods. He sank back to the floor, curling his knees up to his chest as he cried his heart out.


	2. Day 2 - Kidnapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mistake, a misunderstanding, and a decision changes Camyn's world forever.

_Earlier that day_

  
“I’m bored.”

  
Tauma sighed and looked up from what she was doing. “That’s the fifth time you’ve said that, Camyn. We get it.”

  
“I know,” Camyn replied, “But so far no one has seemed to do anything to change it.”

  
Tauma rolled her eyes. She and Camyn, along with their friends, Ripher and Dolmin, had been busy working all morning in the woods several miles away from their village. The first day of spring had arrived, which meant a plethora of rare plants coming into bloom. Among them were a rare bush fruit called aquapuffs, large jiggly berries the size of an apple that were thin skinned and filled with juice, something the people in Camyn’s village enjoyed as drinks and even wine, if brewed properly. But one drop to the ground, one slip up in removing them from their vine, and they burst immediately.

  
“If we had to cater and react to every little comment you made, we’d never get anything done,” Ripher said in an annoyed tone. Camyn rolled his eyes and laughed, “And yet you still find the time.”

  
He heard Ripher snort and turned to see him smiling a little. He usually had that effect on people, making them laugh even if he was bothersome. It was a good feeling, seeing their expressions change to happier ones. Especially here as they carried on with harvesting like worker bees.

  
“You know what I think we should do once we’re done here?” Dolmin said as she pulled a fruit off its vine. “Why don’t we go for a little swim in the lake outside of my house? It’d be a nice way to cool off and relax a little.”

  
“Also a great way for us to bring all of our collections to your house for you to get first pick,” Camyn replied.

  
Dolmin turned back and glared at him with pursed lips. Camyn looked away, ignoring the hole she was burning into the back of his head with her eyes. He did like the idea of going for a swim once they were done. But at the pace they were going at, it would be at least a few hours before they finished up with everything. With care, he plucked another aquapuff from the vine.

  
He stopped for a moment and gently squeezed the fruit. The juice inside cast a slight shimmer underneath the skin as the light hit it. Even now, it smelled sweet. He looked back at his basket, the sheer number of fruits he managed to pick without any breaking. In fact, none of the fruits he picked had burst.

  
No one would miss this one.

  
Camyn turned the fruit over in his hand deviously, eying Tauma who stood closest to him, about twenty feet away. She didn’t seem to notice as he came a little closer and raised the fruit in the air. She blissfully kept picking fruit off their bushes. As he took a step back to throw it at her, a thought entered his mind. This might be a bad idea.

  
He ignored that too.

  
The ripe fruit flew from his hand and hit Tauma in the back of her head, the juice drenching her hair and the tops of her shoulders. She shrieked in surprise, whipping her head around to glare at him. Camyn’s legs couldn’t move faster to turn and run as Tauma sprinted after him, spouting every curse she could think of. He was still laughing at she chased him, Ripher and Dolmin right behind her in hopes of getting her to stop. Camyn imagined that the whole thing must have looked hilarious. Tauma would never actually hurt him for that. He had done far worse things for a lesser reaction than this. Still, he lived for that priceless look on her face almost masked entirely with annoyance, that playful look of revenge that said I’m going to get you back.

  
“Camyn, hold up for a second!” He heard Ripher call to him.

  
“You hold up! I’m not stopping!”

  
“Seriously, wait a minute!”

  
“Gotta catch me first!”

  
No sooner did he say those words when he heard the quick rustling of leaves before something surrounded him from below and swept him up off the ground. Everything became darker and his stomach dropped as he felt himself rising higher in the air. His voice fell into shrieking until he finally stopped in the air. It took a moment for him to realize he was caught in a rope net, and looked down to see himself suspended thirty or forty feet in the air.

  
“HELP!” He yelled at the top of his lungs. He swayed back and forth in the net, the fear of falling rising in his stomach. He peeked through the holes in the net down at the ground, seeing his friends gathered together right below him.

  
“HELP! GET ME DOWN! GET ME DOWN!”

  
“Camyn!” Dolmin called out to him. “Just calm down! We’ll find a way to cut you down!”

  
Her words did little to calm him down, and each passing moment made it harder to breathe. “PLEASE, HURRY AND GET ME DOWN! I DON’T WANNA FALL PLEASE!”

  
“Shh, be quiet, Camyn!” Ripher said, “Don’t draw more attention! Someone close by could hear you, maybe even the trapper!”

  
“YOU KNEW THERE WAS A TRAP AND DIDN’T TELL ME?!”

  
“I tried telling you to stop, but you wouldn’t listen!”

  
“Both of you stop!” Dolmin silenced them both. “Neither of you are helping the situation by yelling at each other! Camyn, we’ll get you down in just a minute. Ripher, it looks like the trap is tied off over to the right. Tauma, stay here just in case he falls out too fast.”

  
“What, and get crushed?” Tauma said in annoyance. They ignored her and went to find and untie the rope that held Camyn in the air. As they searched, Tauma looked up at the dangling Camyn.

  
“I guess this’ll teach you not to throw more aquapuffs at me,” she said sarcastically.

  
“Now is not the time, Tauma,” Camyn said in a shaky voice.

  
“Sorry… I’m just trying to lighten the mood a little. I shouldn’t’ve have chased you.”

  
“It’s… okay. I’m sorry for throwing the aquapuff at you.”

  
“It’s okay. I mean… it was kind of funny.”

  
That made Camyn smile a little. He still held onto the net around him as though he would fall any second. He felt so vulnerable this far from the ground, even though he had climbed trees higher than this is the past. More time passed in relative silence, and Camyn began to worry.

  
“H-hey, what’s taking so long?” He called out. No response followed, and he desperately tried to get a better look at what was going on below.

  
“Tauma? Ripher? Dolmin? What’s going on down there?”

  
“Camyn, not now,” Ripher said in a steady, but strained tone. Camyn’s heart began to race, not understanding what Ripher meant by that. He cautiously twisted his body to get a better look at the ground. He saw Ripher and Dolmin walking back to where Tauma was, their hands raised defensively. As they clustered back together, another figure stepped out of the bushes. Camyn’s eyes widened with fear at the sight of the tall human, the trapper who set up the net, and the bow and arrow he held drawn back.

  
“Get going,” the human said to them in a harsh tone, “I’m not looking to fight with elves over my own catch.”

  
“Please, human—sir…” Dolmin’s voice trembled, “That’s our friend up there. He’s not an animal, he’s an elf like us and our friend.”

  
“You think that makes any difference?”

  
“He didn’t mean to set off your trap,” Ripher tried to explain, “It was an accident, please. We’ll help you reset it, we can give you some of the fruit and herbs we’ve gather. Just please, let him go.”

  
The human stepped closer, their bow still drawn. “I’ve had a good day today, and I’m not about to ruin it by making a deal with elves. Now, go crawl back to your holes before I put you in a new one.”

  
The silence that hung in the air was heavy and painful. No one said anything for several moments. Then the soft sound of feet on the ground filled the air. Camyn’s eyes filled with tears as he began to realize what was happening.

  
“Guys? Guys, please… Please don’t leave me… Don’t, don’t leave…”

  
“I’m sorry, Camyn,” Tauma said through tears. He heard the others weeping softly, and the sound of quiet shuffling away beneath him. Camyn broke.

  
“Please, don’t! Don’t leave me here! Don’t go! Please, Dolmin, Tauma, Ripher! Don’t leave me!”

  
He watched them slowly walk toward the edge of the clearing. His fear of falling began to disappear as he frantically pulled at the holes in the net, hoping to free himself. His fingers shook as he pressed his face against the ropes.

  
“Please, no! No, don’t go! No! No, don’t leave me! Please…”

  
His three friends looked up at him, their faces full of sorrow and anguish. But they had made their decision. The tears in their eyes may as well not have been there at all as he watched them turn and walk away into the bush, disappearing from sight forever.

  
Camyn’s voice dropped into a wail and he buried his hands in his face. The pain in his heart was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Nothing else had ever hurt more. He didn’t even realize that the human had been lowering him until his legs hit the ground. He fought to be free of the net tangled around him, scrambled to run back to his friends and back to his home.

  
“Stop squirming, you little brat,” the human snapped at him. He grabbed the top of the net and began dragging Camyn across the ground. Camyn wouldn’t stop.

  
“No, please, sir! Please, no! No, let me go! Please let me go! Please, I just want to go home! Please, no!”

  
Something hit him across his back and side and he cried out. He clutched his side and curled into himself as the human yelled at him.

  
“Shut up!” He said nothing more and he continued dragging Camyn away. Camyn watched his world disappear, the trees he knew and grew up around in his twenty-six years, the flowers and mushrooms he picked and brought home time and time again, the colorful stones he collected and stored away in his favorite box. All of it vanished both painstakingly slow and all too fast as he was hauled up to the human’s cart. He could smell the blood of slain animals. Fresh carcasses hung off the sides in a hunter’s triumph, and Camyn wondered if he was soon to be like them.

  
The human lifted him off the ground and draped the top of the net on a hook on the back of his cart. Camyn shifted uncomfortably, unable to find any bearable position with the rope catching on his horns and ankles. He heard the human get up on the cart’s seat and usher the horses, pulling the cart forward.

  
As the horses led the cart on, Camyn watched with tear-filled eyes as the last remnants of the forest slipped away from his vision. His friends, his family and home, there was a deep fear in his heart that he would never see them again. He closed his eyes, unable to watch anymore.


	3. Day 3 - Manhandled/Forced to their Knees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deima takes Camyn to the village in the north to make a trade.

“Up.”

Camyn barely had time to hear the word before he was yanked harshly to his feet. The shackles around his wrists clinked together as he steadied himself on his shaky legs. At least a few days had passed since he was sold to the human shop dealer called Deima. While they made sure he got water and food to stay alive, he never left the storage closet. His legs hurt and the light was unforgiving to his eyes. He knew what it meant, Deima taking him out of there. They meant to take him up to the town in the north, just as they promised the human hunter Regis.

Camyn watched them unlink the chains from the floor. Deima pulled him forward to the front of the shop, where a cloak and chained collar sat on the counter. It was only now that Camyn saw the low light of morning.

“Now, the trip up north will take about ten hours,” Deima said as they unhooked the chain from Camyn’s shackles. “When we arrive, it’ll be dusk. There’s a buyer set up already that I’ve written to.”

Deima draped the cloak over Camyn’s trembling shoulders. He couldn’t help but flinch when he saw them pick up the collar, chains clinking together. He whimpered quietly as it clicked closed around his neck and settled on his collarbones. Deima pulled the hood over his head and eyes, careful not to let it catch on his horns.

“We’ll not delay. I get the feeling you’re pretty rare, and I’m not about to let anyone else catch a good glimpse of you and snatch you for themselves.”

They grabbed the end of the chain on Camyn’s neck and pulled him to the front door. Camyn gagged from the collar, quickly catching up so he didn’t choke more. The cool breeze of the morning air hit his face as they stepped outside. A small cart with a horse was there, already packed and ready to go. All it was missing was its cargo.

“Please…” Camyn cried softly as Deima locked the shop’s door. “I just… want to go back home. This is all a big mistake, please…”

“I’m not going to have to gag you like Regis did, am I?”

Camyn’s voice caught in his throat and he pursed his lips together. He shook his head quickly and looked down at the ground.

Deima pulled Camyn up to the back of the cart, putting down a stool for Camyn to step up on. Shaking so badly he thought he might collapse, Camyn lifted his foot up and stepped into the cart. He sat down and let the fear and numbness of his body take over his senses. Deima locked the end of the chain to the cart’s railing and climbed into the driver’s seat. The horse ushered forward on their command, and the cart jostled as they walked on.

Camyn watched the shop disappear through teary eyes. The place only gave him pain over the past few days, but he would’ve preferred to stay here than go to some entirely new place. To be sold again, treated as some sort of livestock for humans. He bit down on his lip, trying to stay quiet as his heart broke.

* * *

They stopped only once on the way to the new human town, and only for about ten minutes. But even with their short break, it seemed to take forever to get there. Deima’s timing was impeccable. The sky was just barely beginning to turn a slight orange as they rode past the town sign.

Camyn couldn’t read it. He never encountered human writing before, and was only ever used to elvish runes. He didn’t know who the person was that Deima agreed to sell him to, but he hoped it wouldn’t involve him needing to read human language. The evening life was just beginning to come about, some taverns opening for the night and workers returning to their homes and families. None looked Camyn’s way with interest. Those that did look didn’t seem to care that much. The cloak did wonders to hide his appearance. Chained people must have been common here.

Deima continued for a little ways before stopping in front of a corner shop. A tall man with a thick, unkempt beard stood in front with his arms crossed. He didn’t say a word until Deima stepped onto the ground.

“Took you long enough,” he grumbled as Deima unhooked the chain from the cart.

“Nice to see you too,” Deima snapped back, “You know I have to leave at the break of dawn to get here before you close?”

Camyn stood up and stepped off the cart before Deima had time to tug on the chain. Placing one hand on his shoulder, Deima brought him up to the other shop owner.

“You know, you could just, I don’t know, stay open a little bit longer in the day. Who knows, you might even get a few more customers stopping by!”

The human chuckled and his shoulders bounced. “Maybe! But I do enjoy the time I get at home. Now, let’s take a look at what you’ve got.” Deima pushed Camyn forward as they walked into the shop. Camyn’s eyes widened. There were animals in cages all around him, screeching and barking as they ran around their tiny prisons. The place stunk badly, and he fought the urge to cover his ears from the noise.

The new human grabbed the chain on his neck and pulled him forward, pulling the hood off as he looked closely at him. At first glance, the human’s eyes widened. His hand went up to stroke Camyn’s horns.

“Deima, you… you’ve found something very special indeed,” His hand gripped tightly around Camyn’s horn as he turned his head. Camyn whimpered in pain and closed his eyes.

“What is he?”

“He’s a Silver-horned Blue Elf, one of the rarer species in his region. They only number a couple thousand and seclude themselves from all other communities. He’s extremely valuable.”

The human grabbed the cloak and yanked it off of Camyn with incredibly speed. He grabbed his chin, his arms, his shoulders, and his hair as he marveled at the elf standing before him. Camyn groaned as he gripped his jaw and forced his mouth open to look at his teeth. Humiliation burned under his skin.

“And he’s in very good health too. I’ll have to store him in the back room with the other rarer specimens.”

“So we’ve got a deal?” Deima asked, their intrigue for the human’s excitement growing on their face.

“We most certainly do.”

Camyn struggled to hear anything else from either of them. A numb ringing had entered his ears, mixed with the sounds of animals around him, that blocked out the words between them. Several more moments passed before a hand grabbed the chain in his neck and pulled him down. Camyn fell to his knees and grabbed at the collar to keep from choking. Tears finally spilled down his cheeks. “Please, please no…”

“Shush now,” the human snapped as he let Deima unlocked the shackles on his wrists. A rope wrapped around his wrists once the metal cuffs came away, tying it tightly into knots. Camyn froze as a pair of hands reached for his throat. The collar unlocked and fell away, and he felt like he could breathe for the first time in hours. Deima’s hand gripped one of his horns to hold him in place as the other human began counting out the agreed payment. Stacks of gold coins grew on the counter as they fell into brown sacks. The coins Deima gave to Regis before seemed to small now.

“There we go,” the human said as he tied off the last bag. “Eight hundred gold pieces. You might want to think about getting something to hide this all in as you travel back.”

“Thanks for the thought,” Deima let go of Camyn’s horn and grabbed the sacks of gold. “Have a good night.”

Had they left any faster, they would’ve been running. Camyn watched them leave, one more link that led him home now gone. When the door closed behind them, he let his head drop and cried bitterly.

“Enough of that,” the human wasn’t gentle as he grabbed Camyn’s arm and hauled him to his feet. His fingers dug painfully into the skinny limb, and he showed no sympathy to Camyn’s soft cries as they moved towards the back of the shop.

“You’re going to behave for me, or you’ll live to regret it. Now stop that sniveling, I have a special place for you in back.”


	4. Day 4 - Caged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camyn's first few days in the new shopkeeper's store. In some ways, he wishes he was back with the last human...

Camyn’s eyes cracked open as the sun began to peek through the windows. Oil and dirt coated his face in a thin layer, barely able to wipe away as he rubbed his eyes open. Another fitful and restless night passed, and nothing in the day could make up for it.

The human, who Camyn learned in time was named Kallas, took him to a room in the back of the store with a number of large cages. A few were filled with creatures, nothing like the ones out in front of the shop. Magical creatures were caged around him, baby griffins, phoenixes, jeweled turtles, and so many others. He even saw a young cervitaur chained by their neck with their arms restrained behind them. With his hands still bound, Kallas locked him in one of the larger cages in back, between a pseudodragon and a little cage full of sprites.

That was a few days ago. Since then, Kallas released the bonds on his wrists, figuring the elf wouldn’t cause that much trouble. Every time he came in to feed and water the animals, Camyn begged and pleaded to be freed, just to go home and forget this ever happened. Camyn received no food or water the first day, instead a gag buckled around his mouth. He had obeyed ever command since.

The sun rising meant Kallas would soon be here with food and water for the rest of them. Even now, the other creatures in the room stirred from their slumber. Camyn grabbed the bars of the cage to pull himself up. It was barely tall enough for him to sit up comfortably, and he already caught his horns on the bars more than a few times. He pressed his forehead against the metal and looked around at the creatures trapped here with him.

A few he had seen before outside of his village. His people were kind to all creatures in the forest. Sprites were plenty, flying through the air and in between the trees, and jeweled turtles were easy to find if you knew where to look. There were even a few times when cervitaurs came passing through, and Camyn always thought they were remarkable creatures. Tall and graceful, and full of life.

The one in the cage right across from him was nothing like those others. Camyn hadn’t seen them move this entire time, save when Kallas came to feed them. They wore a gag like Camyn’s, and the restraints around their arms and neck turned their skin a dark purple. Their fur was dirty and unkempt, and the look in their eyes did nothing but frighten Camyn. So empty and void, all hope disappeared like a sweet fragrance on a windy day.

_Am I going to end up like that?_

The door opened and Camyn flinched, the rest of the creatures chirping and shrieking. Camyn’s mouth began to water at the sight of the bucket of food Kallas carried. Raw meat for the carnivores, bread for everyone else. Every moment that passed watching Kallas give out food to each of the cages filled Camyn’s eyes with tears, the growing fear that he would be left out again rising in his chest.

He almost sighed in relief when Kallas stopped in front of his cage, setting down the bucket of food and another bucket filled with water. Kallas knelt down in front of him, holding a spare bit of rope in one hand.

“Hands out.” Camyn held his hands out between the bars, trembling as if he’d fall to pieces. His wrists ached as the rope wrapped around them, a knot tightly firmly on top. He shifted up onto his knees as Kallas opened a small door on the cage, just big enough to fit his head through. He moaned quietly as the buckle on the gag came undone and fell away from his mouth.

“Head up.” Kallas commanded as he filled a cup with water. Camyn looked up and opened his mouth in anticipation. When the cup touched his lips, the water ran down his throat so fast he thought it might drown him. He whined when the cup emptied and lowered to the ground. Kallas reached for the other bucket and pulled out a loaf of bread.

“Eat this quickly.” He said as he placed it in Camyn’s hands. He dug into it with such voraciousness, he had to fight himself from making ugly snarling noises. As he ate, he watched Kallas move on to the cervitaur, the one being always left for last since he had been here. With their arms tied and their neck chained down, Kallas had no issues with opening the main gate of the cage. Just like with Camyn, he removed the gag on the cervitaur’s mouth and filled a cup for them to drink. With their antlers still growing, it was hard to move their head in the cage, and their arms tied behind them meant they couldn’t feed themself either. Kallas fed them their loaf of bread bit by bit until it was gone.

“Good beast,” he said and patted the top of their head between their antlers. Camyn saw no fight in them left, no resistance as Kallas put that awful gag back on their face and locked it tightly behind their head. Their eyes became wet with tears as their cage closed once more. Camyn stuffed the rest of the bread in his mouth and rushed to swallow it as Kallas came back towards his cage.

“Hurry up and finish now.” He picked up the gag as Camyn swallowed the last bit of bread. He gulped back with his lips trembling, “…Th-thank you, s-sir…”

“What?” Kallas growled. Camyn shrank at the sound of anger in his voice. The other creatures in the room felt the tension, their anxiousness growing with their chittering.

“I’m—I’m sorry, I’m sorry—” He blubbered. “I—I just… I’m—I just wanted you to know… I’m g-grateful for—for all y-you’ve given m-me… sir.”

Camyn froze, cursing himself silently for saying anything at all. Tears ran down his cheeks, hitting the floor below. A hand reached down and lifted his chin up, where he came face-to-face with Kallas and his grizzly beard. He couldn’t quite tell what the expression on his face was, but it was nowhere near pleased.

“Flattery will get you nowhere here, elf,” Kallas said in a low voice. “Best hope for you is to keep your mouth shut, and show your _gratefulness_ in obedience.”

He let Camyn’s head drop before forcing the gag back over his mouth. The bit pushed its way past his teeth, and he groaned as the straps tightened around his head. He pulled his head back in without command as Kallas closed the small door before untying his wrists. Now free, Camyn pushed himself back to the corner of the cage furthest from Kallas. Taking the buckets in hand, Kallas left the room to tend to the other animals up front.

With him finally gone, Camyn curled his knees to his chest and buried his face in his arms. The gag hurt his head already, but wouldn’t budge. He prayed no other humans would come to the back room today. He didn’t want to be seen like this, not by humans, elves, anyone. He began counting the seconds until sundown, when Kallas would arrive with their dinner.


	5. Day 5 - Failed Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Days and nights of being locked in the cage begin to wear down on Camyn's spirit...

_I can’t take this anymore._

Camyn cried softly in the night, pulling at the gag over his mouth. The leather rubbed his skin raw over the past several days. Even the brief breaks when Kallas came to feed him wasn’t enough to relieve his suffering. He scraped the buckle of the gag against one of the bars on the cage. He felt blood drawing from his scalp as the hours dragged on, but he found himself unable to stop.

All the other creatures slept soundly in their cages. They must have been here a long time, Camyn thought, to rest peacefully in just an awful place. He could only sleep when he passed out from exhaustion. It was all he felt these days, along with humiliation. How much longer did he have to stay here before he could know a moment’s peace in sleep? He whimpered as the buckle pushed into his skin.

_I can’t do this. I can’t take it. Please no more._

He heard a sudden snap and froze in place. The gag suddenly felt looser around his head, and he cautiously pulled it away until it came past his teeth. A small metallic clattering sounded behind him, and he turned to see the frame and lock of the buckle on the floor of the cage, coated in his blood.

His eyes widened as he looked down at the gag in his hands. The prong was still attached to one of the straps. His hands shook as he held it, the fear of Kallas suddenly coming in and seeing what he had done growing in his chest. His eyes blurred as his heart races, his breath growing short and rapid.

 _Wait._ It was the middle of the night, and he knew after more than a few sleepless nights that it would be several more hours before Kallas awoke up on the second floor. There was time to fix this. He could find a way to fix this before Kallas came back. There was time to…

He looked down at the prong and held it between his fingers. It was long yet thin, and made from a study metal. He found his eyes turning towards the lock keeping his cage closed. Warily, he brought the prong up to the keyhole and began poking around the inside.

_Please work… please, oh please work… c’mon, let this work…_

He never picked a lock in his life. The closest he had ever come was successfully opening a door after an open drawer had blocked it from the other side. But he didn’t have any other choice. If he did nothing, he would either be bought by another cruel human and taken farther away from his home, or live out the rest of his life miserable in a tiny cage. And that was no choice at all.

_Come on… Please, please work. Come on, almost…_

He heard a click and the hook on the lock dropped. His hands shook as he unhooked it from the loops on the gate. He set it down on the floor with care and reached for the latch. He froze before lifting it, afraid it would somehow catch and he’d lose all hope of escaping. Tears filling his eyes, he lifted the latch and the gate creaked open.

“Oh…” Camyn fought to keep his voice from breaking as it opened the rest of the way. He poked his head out warily, careful not to wake any of the other creatures in the room. He had no idea if they would stay quiet and let him escape, or make noise to draw Kallas out from his slumber. He stayed low to the ground as he stepped slowly out of the cage. The first time using his legs in days, and they trembled beneath him. His breath quickened and he covered his mouth to keep quiet. He crawled on the floor as his heart raced, inching closer and closer to the door.

“Mm… Hm-mm…” Camyn froze just as his hand rested on the doorknob. The sudden fear of being discovered overwhelmed him, and he found himself paralyzed on his knees. He closed his eyes, waiting for the punishment he was sure would arrive.

“Mmnm… Hmm…” As the noise continued, Camyn opened his eyes and listened for a moment. It came from behind him, soft and weak, and full of pain. In a way, it also sounded familiar. He turned slowly to find the cervitaur looking straight at him, their eyes wide and glassy in the low light. It was the first time they had acknowledge Camyn, even looked at him, since he arrived here. Now, they refused to look away from him.

Camyn clenched his teeth tightly. He looked back at the door, his hand still resting on the knob. He was so close to freedom, just a turn of the knob and one more room, and he could run away. He could run back home to his friends and family. It was all so close. But he had to go now. His head turned back, accidentally locking glances with the certivaur again, their eyes flooding with tears.

_I can’t leave them._

Camyn let go of the doorknob and crawled back over to his cage. Grabbing the broken gag, he crawled over to the cervitaur’s cage and quickly worked to pick the lock. The cervitaur whined through the gag, the chain on their neck rattling as they tried to turn.

“Shh!” Camyn whispered harshly, “Stay still and quiet, we can’t risk waking up any others!”

The cervitaur shrank away and remained quiet. Camyn squinted in the low light as he pushed the prong in the keyhole at every angle he could make. In time, he heard a clink and the lock opened. The look in the cervitaur’s eyes as the gate opened was heartbreaking, but uplifting as well. Camyn smiled at them and brushed the hair out of their eyes.

“Let’s get this stuff off you.” He gently guided their head down to take a look at the lock on the gag. He managed to break off his own, but it would only hurt the cervitaur more and the prong wasn’t small enough to fit in the keyhole. He’d have to find something else to pick it once he got them out of here. The lock on the collar around their neck was different, bigger and heavier, but easier to pick open. He started there, careful not to let the chain rattle like before. The cervitaur watched him intently as the collar unlocked and fell away from their neck.

“Okay, let’s get the ropes now.” Camyn turned their shoulders gently and began working on the knots around their arms. Their skin was so dark and cold, he wondered if they’d even be able to move them once they were free. The cervitaur’s fingers twitched at the bonds loosened and they whimpered in pain.

“Just stay quiet a little longer,” Camyn pleaded, “Please, I’m almost through!”

The cervitaur’s antlers clattered against the top of the cage. Camyn flinched, his fingers trembling as he untangled the last of the knots. Their arms hung limply at their side as the ropes fell away. They shuffled in the cage, anxious to get out, and their antlers clattered again against the bars.

Clattering and screeching erupted behind them. Both of their heads turned in horror. The sound of the cervitaur’s antlers against the cage must have woken up the baby griffins, who were now jumping and shrieking in their cage. It stirred the other creatures in the room, a few chittering along with the noise.

“Come on!” Camyn grabbed the cervitaur’s wrists and pulled them out of the cage. They fell forward, their arms limp in Camyn’s hold as their legs stumbled beneath them. The shrieking ensued and Camyn looked toward the door. Kallas would hear them from upstairs and be down any moment. They didn’t have time to let that happen.

“Here! Hold on!” Camyn turned around and draped their arms over his shoulders, pulling them up to their feet as he stood up. They were taller, but hunched over him like a ragdoll. Their hooves clicked against the stone floor as Camyn helped them walk to the door. They heaved with breath in every step, but managed to hold onto Camyn. Camyn reached one hand for the doorknob. They were so close now, almost there…

The knob flew away before his hand could touch it, revealing a disheveled and angry Kallas. A short club was closed in his fist. His eyes widened in anger when he saw Camyn and the cervitaur.

“Why, you—!" The club raised and hit Camyn in the cheek. He crashed to the ground, the cervitaur toppling on top of him. They screamed through the gag as Kallas grabbed one of their antlers and dragged them away.

“You just can’t stay out of trouble, can you beast?” Kallas carried them across the ground as though they weighed nothing. They screamed at the top of their lungs, their hooves clattering on the pavement as they were thrown to the base of their cage. Kallas turned back to Camyn.

“And you…” He stomped toward him. “I should’ve known better than to let a tricky elf wander about his cage freely. You’ll be begging for the days when it was just the gag!”

Camyn screamed as he brought down the club on his shoulders. He crawled on his hands and knees to the open door, blood running down his mouth. Kallas grabbed his horns and pulled him up to his feet. Camyn screamed and gripped Kallas’ wrists.

“No! No, please! Please, don’t! Aah!” Camyn’s eyes streamed down his face as Kallas dragged him back over to his cage. He dropped him to the ground and kicked his ribcage. The air left him and he gasped, another kick landing in his gut and making him curl in pain.

“Please, please…” He cried out, “I won’t do it again! I swear, I won’t!”

“Funny,” Kallas said as he swung the club against Camyn’s back. “Your friend over there said the same thing, more than once. You’re no different.”

The club came down on his head and everything turned fuzzy and dim. His fingers clawed on the ground as he tried to get away from the descending club. He looked back to the door, shifting and shaking in his view, the only escape from his pain. Maybe if he could just turn and get to it…

Kallas stomped down on his hand before he could move another inch. The club barely swiped in his line of view before hitting the base of his neck. He felt a pop and suddenly couldn’t get a breath in. His throat gagged and coughed, spit running down his lips and coating the stone floor. He tensed and shivered, but didn’t dare move.

“Bastard elf,” Kallas muttered as he lifted his foot off Camyn’s hand. The injured elf looked back at the cervitaur by their cage, shaking and crying as they watched Camyn beaten. They hadn’t moved from before, only to cower away as Kallas came closer.

“Not one more month I’ll keep you,” Kallas growled at them as he grabbed the rope on the ground and pulled their arms back behind them. “I’ve put in far too much energy into managing your unruly behavior. You better hope someone actually take an interest in you over the next month, or gods help me, I’ll send you to the butcher’s once and for all!”

The cervitaur wailed through the gag as Kallas tied their wrists together. The rest of the rope wrapped around their neck, pulling their hands up so they’d choke if they tried to relax. Once Kallas tied the last knot, he shoved them back in the cage and locked the collar back around their throat. Camyn watched them struggle to breathe as the cage locked back up. He barely had the energy to flinch as Kallas came back to him.

“All this noise,” he muttered as he picked up Camyn by his arms, “I’m never going to get back to sleep. Ah…”

Camyn groaned as he fell into the cage with Kallas pushing him. He knew he found the broken gag on the floor from the tone in his voice. He winced, knowing punishment for breaking it would surely come upon him. Tears ran down his face as Kallas pulled his hands through the bars of the cage and, with a spare kerchief on his person, tied them behind him.

“Please,” Camyn blubbered through his words, “It’s my fault… It was just me, please… don’t—don’t blame them it… it was just—”

His sentence was cut off by another kerchief forced past his teeth and tied to the bar behind him. He cried through the cloth as the cage’s gate closed and locked once more.

“Oh, I know for certain it’s your fault,” Kallas grabbed one of his horns and shook it firmly, “But that wretched beast didn’t need any encouragement. I’m sure their last thoughts will be how you helped to speed up their fate. Imagine how much they’re thanking you now that they’ll spend the rest of the night like this.”

He let go of Camyn’s horn and went to retrieve the broken gag on the floor. He left the room, muttering angrily about how he was going to fix it properly in the morning, the baby griffins still shrieking but beginning to quiet down. Camyn pulled weakly at his bonds, his head still pounding from the impact. He could barely see anything in the low light or hear past the ringing in his ears. He could pass out right here, no matter the discomfort of the gag and bonds.

Yet sleep still eluded him, driven back by the sounds of the cervitaur’s muffled choking and crying. They continued long past when the other creatures in the room quieted down and fell back asleep. Camyn stayed awake, through the pain and tears of them both until the morning sun started to rise.


	6. Day 6 - "Stop, please"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camyn is eye-catching for his horns...   
> (Behold, the inspiration for Camyn's story based on Prompt 101!)

“How unusual!”

Camyn winced at the sound of fascination in the stranger’s voice, hinted with an air of mild disgust at the creatures in the room. It was the same tone one might hear at a freak show, or watching a taxidermist work and being unable to look away. Kallas had only just let the stranger in the back room, and he couldn’t quite tell what it was he was referring to.

“I’ve got a fine selection of creatures and beasts here,” Kallas told the stranger, “See anything you like?”

“My, my…” The stranger was mystified. Camyn watched his slow steps around the room, doing his best to keep track of when he could shift his body to turn away. The following morning of his fail escape attempt, Kallas, true to his word, put another gag and collar on him and tied his arms tightly behind his back. His body ached every waking moment, unable to find relief from the constant bruising on his skin. It had been like this every day and night for the past week.

One week gone. The cervitaur still remained here with the rest of them. Kallas tied them back up just as before, their arms turning a purplish pale color with time. Camyn could see how little Kallas cared for them in the way he treated them. He tied the ropes too tight, barely fed them, and kicked the cage every time he walked by. It was clear he couldn’t be more impatient to get rid of them.

Camyn wondered if he would see them die here.

He turned away as the stranger walked around the room with Kallas behind him. This wasn’t the first customer brought to the back room, but Camyn never knew what it was any of them were looking for until they finally decided. But they always looked at him, every one of them. He was new, special, an oddity among oddities. They looked at him like a child looks at a new toy. At least before he was tied up, he could cover his face and tuck himself away in the corner of the cage. Nothing could protect him now as they came to his cage and unlocked the smaller gate Kallas used to feed him.

“I’ve never seen such a fascinating creature before!” The stranger reached through the small gate and grabbed at Camyn’s hair, his horns and face, tugging and prodding him uncomfortably. His hands wrapped around the base of his horns and pulled him forward, his thumbs tracing the lines of silver.

“It’s beautiful. I’ve heard of elves having these, but I’ve never actually seen one.” One hand went down and held Camyn’s cheek. It was a surprisingly gentle touch, a sensation he hadn’t known in almost two weeks. His eyes closed softly.

“Can its horns be cut off?”

Camyn’s eyes snapped back up at the stranger at the sound of those words. Dread filled his stomach and chest with each passing second of Kallas’ silence. The collar pulling on his neck, he shook his head desperately.

_Please, don’t! Don’t let him take my horns! No, please! Don’t! No!_

“From what I’ve heard, my friend,” Kallas said, “Elf horns can’t grow back once they’re broken or cut.”

“Oh, a shame,” the stranger brushed his hand against Camyn’s cheek, making him tense in disgust. “They’d be perfect for my brother’s collection room. Are you sure you can’t make an exception?”

“I cut off his horns and sell them to you, and he looks like a Bluespring elf and only sells at a quarter of what he is now. And what good does that do me?”

Camyn sighed in relief as the stranger pulled his hand away. His gaze lingered for a moment longer before looking across the room at a different cage. The cervitaur. They had been watching Kallas and the stranger traverse around the room and talk over Camyn. When they saw how the two of them approached their cage, they began to cry softly through their gag.

“What about this one?” The stranger asked, a little less impressed by the sight of the cervitaur than he was with Camyn.

“I’d sooner sell you the whole thing for a few gold coins,” said Kallas, “It’s caused me nothing but trouble and I’d be glad to get rid of it.”

The cervitaur’s head fell forward, their antlers clattering against the cage bars. The stranger laughed nervously and wrung his hands together.

“Oh, I’m not joking, sir,” Kallas began to bring forth a tone of salesmanship, “You can take it with you and use its antlers, its hooves, and part you want for, let’s say, ten gold coins?”

“That’s, uh, that’s quite a bargain.”

“Sounds too good to be true, I know. What do you say?”

The stranger crossed his arms. “Thing is… I don’t have any place to keep something this big. And I sure as hell don’t have a place to chop it up on my own.”

“So go to the butcher and have them do it for you.”

“Look, I just want a good pair of horns, antlers, whatever to make a decoration. I don’t want the whole thing.”

Kallas pursed his lips tightly together, but smiled back and nodded. “Of course. If you’ll just wait here for a few minutes, I’ll get my supplies and get the antlers off for you myself.”

Kallas quickly left the room and closed the door, leaving the stranger in the room with the creatures. Camyn looked back at the cervitaur, who cried bitterly with shaking breath. He pulled frantically at the ropes around his arms to get out. His forehead pressed against the bars, the collar around his neck tight as he yelled through the gag.

_Don’t let him do it! Please! They don’t deserve it! Don’t do this!_

Horns weren’t dead things. They weren’t the same as hair that would be cut away without pain. It hurt when they were hewed, cracked, broken. Camyn had a friend who once fell off the roof of a house and broke off one of her horns at the base. There was so much blood that one grew sick from the smell. It didn’t matter of the cervitaur could grow their horns back or not. It would be agony.

Kallas returned with a small saw, a bag, and a few wet rags in hand. Camyn screamed through the gag at the sight of the saw. Kallas sighed in annoyance and kicked his cage.

“Quiet,” he said in a flat tone. Camyn watched helplessly as he went over and opened the cervitaur’s cage. They cried past the gag as Kallas dragged them out, but didn’t fight back. All of their strength was gone.

“You’re welcome to step outside while I remove the antlers,” Kallas told the stranger, “It might get a little messy.”

“It’s fine,” said the stranger with a hint of eagerness in his voice, “I’d love to see how you work.”

Kallas shrugged and grabbed an antler, pulling the cervitaur’s head up as he brought the saw to the base. The teeth of the blade began to cut, drawing out blood at a quickening pace. The cervitaur’s voice dropped into a wail as they tried to pull away.

 _No!_ Camyn screamed and slammed his head against the bars, metal clanging against his own horns.

_Stop it! Stop, please! You’re hurting them! Stop it, please! Please, you’re killing them!_

Camyn gagged at the sight of the antler twisting as it snapped away from the cervitaur’s head, the saw coated in their blood. Kallas set it to the side and began cutting the other one. The cervitaur screamed, blood running down their hair and forehead and staining their skin. The horrible cracking and snapping sound of the other antler tearing away from their skull. The cervitaur wouldn’t stop screaming, tears mixing with fresh blood.

_Stop, please! You monster! You’re a monster… Stop hurting them…_

Camyn slumped against the bars, watching as Kallas carefully cleaned the blood away from the ends of the antlers and his saw. They were cleaned until spotless, then tucked away in the sack he brought. He didn’t even touch the cervitaur as he wiped the blood off his hands.

“Shall we go and finish payment out front?” Kallas accompanied the eager stranger out the door. It closed, and Camyn realized they left the cervitaur out of their cage. Blood ran down from the remaining stumps of their antlers as they shivered with pain. They whimpered through the gag, tears running down their face, but they couldn’t look at Camyn now. The pain was just too much for them.

_I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Please, I’m sorry…_

Camyn sunk into himself, but kept his eyes glued to them. When they were able, when they found the strength, he would be here to comfort them. He wouldn’t leave. 


	7. Day 7 - Carrying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone comes to see Camyn...

_How does it feel today?_

_…Better. A little better._

_Good._

_Still hurts…_

_I’m sorry._

The cervitaur exhaled through their nose and lowered their head. Camyn pressed his head against the bars of the cage, mumbling quietly through the gag as he tried to comfort them. In the time since Camyn tried to help them escape, they shared a secret language of looks and glances to make sure the other was okay. Camyn never heard their voice, not even when he pulled them out of their cage. He had to imagine what they might say, what their voice might sound like. The two of them had come so far since Camyn arrived. The cervitaur had been completely lost in their own world before then. Now, they couldn’t bear to tear their eyes away from him.

The blood from over a week ago when Kallas cut off their antlers still clung to their skin and hair. Thank the gods they didn’t bleed out from their injuries. A heavy cloud of fear hung over all the creatures in the room since that ordeal. Camyn wasn’t sure if it was from the stench of blood, or pity for the poor damned being. Ether way, everyone in the room was noticeably quieter since then.

It was midday and Camyn could hear customers in the shop just outside the door. The past couple of days had been content, in a way. Kallas brought no one else back to see any of them, and only appeared to feed and water the animals. It gave him some relief. He could rest, think, care for the cervitaur in a way with no one else around. There were even times he could keep for himself.

Times to think and comfort oneself in a realm of pain and darkness.

Camyn felt his stomach drop as he heard the door swing open. He didn’t bother looking up, not wanting to see whoever it was who came to ogle at the poor beings in their cages. The first footsteps through the door weren’t Kallas’, much to his surprise. They were lighter, slightly faster as they came up right in front of Camyn’s cage. He saw boots just outside the cage, unusually clean and ornate.

“So, it is true.” A voice said above him with poised excitement. It sent chills down Camyn’s spine. He saw the legs that owned the boots kneel down in front of him. The smaller cage door creaked open and he flinched at the sight of a hand reaching out for him

_Please don’t touch me…_

The hand lifted his chin up gently. His purple eyes met with bright green ones, surrounded by waves of light brown hair neatly combed. The man wore brilliantly designed robes and a medallion with a golden crest. Camyn wondered if he must have been nobility.

“I never thought I’d see a Silver-Horned Blue elf in my life,” he said with a smile, “How remarkable.”

“Th-thank you sir,” Kallas voice came from the corner by the door. Camyn’s eyes darted in that direction, and his jaw would’ve dropped if the gag weren’t there. Kallas stood in the corner, wringing his hands together nervously, _cowering_ in the presence of the noble gentleman in his shop.

“He has sometimes caused a bit of trouble since I’ve had him,” Kallas cleared his throat, “But I’m sure it’s nothing Your Lordship couldn’t handle.”

_So he really was nobility…_

“You would be correct, shop keeper.” The nobleman tilted Camyn’s head from side to side, scrunching his nose at the sight of bruises around his cheeks from the tight gag. Camyn closed his eyes, hoping to fight back the tears growing in his eyes.

“He’s not in the best condition,” the nobleman said as he let go of Camyn’s chin and reach for one of his horns. He felt his thumb trace the lines of silver, just like all the others.

“But it’s nothing that can’t be easily remedied.” The nobleman let go of his horn and drew his hand away. Camyn dropped his head, finally feeling like he could breathe again. He turned away as the nobleman rose back to his feet and spoke directly to Kallas.

“I should like to buy him from you,” he said, “I think the equivalent of two thousand gold pieces would be agreeable, wouldn’t you? I can pay in gold ringlets, if that will suffice.”

_No… please, no…_

Kallas’ jaw and beard would’ve dropped to the floor if it had the chance. He could barely get a word out in his excitement. “Y—yes, my lord, I—absolutely, that is completely agreeable! I—Yes, yes, that will suffice my lord. W—would You Lordship like to keep his cage and bonds as well?”

“How generous of you,” the nobleman said with a small chuckle, “Instruct my servants to bring a sheet to cover the cage and be ready to carry it to my carriage.”

Kallas nodded and left quickly to inform them. The nobleman turned back toward Camyn, kneeling down in front of him, looking at him with an expression of cruel satisfaction.

“You are truly special, little elf,” he said in a low voice, “I’ve found many unique creatures and beings over the years, but you’re the first of your kind I’ve ever had. Though you are not the first elf, and each one has been different in some way, I’m looking forward to finding out what you’re like.”

Camyn grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut. His teeth clenched down tightly on the bit of the gag, his heart pounding in his ears as his breath sped up.

_Not again… please no… not again, please not again…! Please!_

His head snapped up at the sound of footsteps entering the room. Two of the nobleman’s servants came and pulled his cage out to the middle of the room. Camyn locked eyes with the cervitaur, who shook their head with tearful eyes. His eyes widened and he pressed his forehead against the bars.

_I’m sorry!_

The sheet draped over his cage, cutting off the last look he shared with the cervitaur. He shrank into himself, crumpling to the floor of the cage as he fell into tears. Light still shined through the fabric, but he felt shrouded in darkness. He felt the cage rise off the ground, carrying him out of the room and away from the other creatures, the cervitaur, and all he had known for weeks.

“Be careful with that!” The nobleman snapped at his servants when one of them lost their grip on one of the corners. “It’s worth more than you could possibly hope to repay!”

_Suddenly I’m an ‘it’ to you?_

The servants walked him out of the store and Camyn realized he hadn’t been outside or even seen the sun since Deima first brought him here. What was the nobleman going to do to him? Would he ever see the sun again? What if this was the closest he got to feeling the sun’s rays on his skin again, only to live out the rest of his days deep in a stone dungeon? He’d rather die here than live a life like that.

He groaned as his body jostled around with the cage loading onto the nobleman’s cart. The servants pushed him further back where the light dimmed, and Camyn nearly shrieked as the doors he didn’t realize were there closed and left him in darkness. He cried bitterly, wailing past the gag as he heard the doors lock in place. He let his tears flow down, praying he’d pass out from exhaustion as the cart began to move.


	8. Day 9 - Run!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The nobleman brings Camyn to a new place...  
> Day 8 for Whumptober 2020 was an art piece.   
> CW: creepy whumper, forced nudity (no sexual component)

Camyn hadn’t bothered to try and keep track of how long it had been.

Even if he did, he probably would’ve lost track at some point. Probably more than once at that.

He noticed something changed when the cart came to a full stop, and he heard muted voices just outside the doors to the luggage space. Light shined through as the door opened after endless hours in the dark. Even through the sheet, it hurt his eyes and he buried his face as best he could against the floor of the cage.

“Ready? One, two, three!” Camyn’s body rocked as his cage was carried out of the cart. He heard shoes on stone as they walked the cage away from the cart to someplace else. The footsteps changed from walking on stone to walking on what he guessed was carpet. The light changed and he heard distant voices echoing off walls. The nobleman must have had a sizable estate, rich enough that the price he paid for Camyn was easy to have on hand. Maybe, if it was big enough, he could find places to hide and try to escape. His home was close to the mountain peak that aligned perfectly with the North Star. He could run away and be home.

They walked for some time, the servants remaining silent as they carried his cage through the halls of the nobleman’s home. Camyn wondered if it looked like a castle from the outside. A deep fear rose in his chest, wondering if he would ever get to see the outside. His legs shifted beneath him, trying to sit up before they had the chance to take the sheet off the cage. He groaned quietly as he pushed himself against the bars. His arms ached under the ropes and screamed when he pressed his shoulder against the metal. One of the servants lost his grip and the cage dipped, causing Camyn to lose his footing and slide back on the floor.

_Damn it! I just want to get out of here…_

The servants stopped for a moment and he heard the sound of a door opening. They walked him through into was sounded like a smaller room. He wondered where in the castle they could be. Little light shined past the sheet, and as they set him on the ground, dread entered his heart as he imagined a dungeon cell around him.

“Let him out.”

Camyn flinched as the sheet tore away from the top of the cage. The light was low, only a few torches lit in on a room made of stone, no windows in sight. There were tables and a couple of chairs, but he couldn’t quite make out much else while in the cage on the floor. Three figures surrounded him. He whined softly through the gag as one of them knelt down to unlock the cage door. It creaked open and another came to help them pull Camyn carefully out. The chain of the collar rattled around his neck as they worked to unlock it. The third came behind him and began to remove the gag. They pulled and tugged him painfully, but his neck and mouth were freed in time and he took his first full breath in ages.

“He looks far better now that that ugly thing is off his face.” The voice from the back of the room sent chills down Camyn’s spine. He knew it was the nobleman speaking, and the sound of excitement in his voice terrified him, he thought back to what he said in Kallas’ shop, how he was the first of his kind but not the first elf in his possession. What did that mean exactly? What did he do to the others?

“No, please!” He whimpered as he saw one of the servants approach him with a knife in their hand. He cowered away as they grabbed the edge of one of the ropes around his arms and sliced through it. The cut rope fell away and his arms fell to his sides, limp and throbbing with pain as blood and feeling began rushing back.

“Clothes too,” the nobleman said. Camyn’s eyes widened with fear as the knife’s edge came to the front of his shirt and sliced through the fabric. He trembled, paralyzed in terror as the servants pulled his shirt away and cut through the seams of his pants and his undergarments. The room felt so cold in his vulnerability and he cried as they pulled him up to his feet. He covered himself with shaking hands as the servants brought him to the nobleman, sitting comfortably in a cushioned chair and silk robes. Camyn felt his skin crawl and burn from the exposure as the nobleman looked him up and down.

“Wait outside,” he said as he waived a hand at his servants. They let go of Camyn and turned to leave, closing the door behind them. Camyn stood their shaking, his legs unsteady after weeks of not using them. His eyes darted around the room, hoping to find something he could use to defend himself or escape with.

“I wasn’t completely sure that the rumors were true, that the oaf in that glorified pet shop actually had a Blue Elf,” the nobleman said as he stood up from his seat. Only now did Camyn see the size of him, how he stood almost a foot taller than him. His heart raced as he approached him slowly.

“But I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself if they were true and I did nothing about it.” His hand rested on top of Camyn’s head between his horns. Camyn trembled in place, tears prickling in his eyes. His breath hitched in his throat.

_I have to get out of here! I need to get out! I need to run! Run, I need to run! Please, I need to get out!_

His feet wouldn’t move, too weak and struggling to bear his weight alone. He remained frozen as the nobleman ran his fingers through his dark blue hair, tears running down his cheeks. A sob choked out from his throat and the nobleman’s hand left his head and lifted him by his chin.

“What’s this?” The nobleman said with a cruel smile. “Tears? You should be glad I took you away from that place. That oaf had no idea how to take care of you properly. Aren’t you happy now? Free from your bonds and those disgusting clothes?”

_They were all I had left of home._

Camyn closed his eyes and let his tears burn. His muscles screamed at him to find the strength to run, to get away from this man before anything else could happen. His lips trembled and his eyes snapped open as he felt fingers tighten around his jaw.

“Well, you’ll learn to appreciate your new home in time. And you’ll learn to serve me faithfully.”

The nobleman let go of Camyn’s chin and strolled casually behind him, his eyes keeping on him like a hawk on its prey. Camyn’s eyes didn’t follow him, his skin shivering painfully. The nobleman’s hands rested on his shoulders and he held his breath.

“Tell me your name, little elf.”

_No, I have to go! Have to run! Find a way out! I can’t let him keep me here!_

“C—Camyn…”

“Camyn, I am your Lord Aidon. You will address me as ‘Master’ or ‘sir,’ and you will remain in my ownership for as long as I see fit. Now…”

One hand disappeared from Camyn’s shoulder and came back holding a small vial. He stared at the shimmering blue liquid inside, and his stomach began to twist nervously. The nobleman, Lord Aidon, shook it.

“Drink this.” He instructed. Camyn remained frozen, scared of what it might do to him. He felt Lord Aidon’s hand tighten on his shoulder and he flinched, taking the vial in his shaking hand.

“Wh-what is this…?” he said, only now noticing how raspy his voice was. He heard Lord Aidon clear his throat, and knew he already messed up.

“…M-Master…?”

“Something of my own design. You’re injured, and this will help. I want the newest addition to my collection to be in the best shape possible. Now, drink it.”

The blue seemed to match with the blue of his skin and the deep purple ring around his wrists and arms from the rope. Camyn gulped back and squeezed his eyes shut, popping the cork off with his thumb before downing it quickly. It tasted bitter and burned down his throat. He gasped for air as it traveled down his stomach. He felt his skin start to tingle as Lord Aidon lifted his chin up.

“Very good, Camyn. There are fresh clothes for you on the table. Get dressed, with everything, then the guards outside will show you to your quarters.”

Camyn didn’t watch as Lord Aidon drew his hands away and walked out of the room. His eyes finally drifted toward the table where a tunic and pair of pants laid, folded neatly. And something else. Something that nearly made his heart stop.

A collar. One perfectly tailored to his neck.

His knees buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor. His chest heaved with sobs, unable to breathe as he cried. He couldn’t run with the guards just outside the door. He couldn’t hide in here, they’d come and drag him out if he took too long. He was trapped here. Utterly trapped. That collar would only confirm the worst, that he was no more than a glorified pet. A thing to be owned by humans.

He would put it on in time. But for now, he savored the sweet few minutes of free air.


	9. Day 10 - Trail of Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I got really behind with my Whumptober stuff, but I'll still try and continue this story! CW: blood, some dehumanization

“Lord Aidon has summoned you to his study.”

Camyn gulped back the dryness in his mouth. He stared nervously at the attendant who entered the small room he was assigned after Lord Aidon first brought him here. Calling a room was generous, implying it had enough space for him to walk around in. Really it was just a tall closet with a cot and a tiny window out of his reach to circulate air, which now let in cold blowing wind. The door was always locked to him, yet anyone with a key outside could let themselves in at any time.

“I… Um… Wh—what does he want me to do…?” Each word was pained with the fear he was doing everything wrong.

“It doesn’t matter,” the attendant replied curtly, “When he requests you, you arrive and follow any instructions he gives you. Now, follow me.”

Camyn shut his mouth and clasped his hands together as he followed the attendant out of his room. He kept his eyes focused on the attendant’s shoes as they walked. They were nicer than his, as were his clothes compared to the ones first given to him. He must have been a paid servant, a human with a job who could leave and see the sun and not be a part of some sick collection.

Only a few days had passed, and he still wasn’t used to the labyrinth that was Lord Aidon’s castle. Hallways seemed to go on forever and all looked the same, littered with twists and turns everywhere. But he never looked up from the floor as he walked, even if it would help him better remember the paths. He didn’t like seeing the grandeur surrounding him with every step. Velvety curtains over crystal clear windows, porcelain vases, exquisite paintings of what Camyn guessed were Lord Aidon’s noble relations. It made his skin crawl a little, seeing how extravagantly his new Master lived. The price he paid for Camyn didn’t seem to be that much of a sacrifice of his wealth.

They walked for some time to the upper levels of the estate, where Lord Aidon spent most of his time. They came up to a door he hadn’t come across before, large and wooden with beautiful patterns carved on the sides. The attendant knocked, then waited for a moment before opening it. When Camyn finally looked up, his jaw dropped.

The room was filled with light flooding from the windows. Bookshelves lines the walls, packed with more books and tomes than Camyn had ever seen before. Tables covered with maps and pieces of loose parchment stood close to the middle, and he saw beautifully designed globes and telescopes near a few of the more curved windows. He felt like he had stepped into a storybook of magical scholars.

“Over here.” Dread entered Camyn’s chest at the sound of Lord Aidon’s voice near the fireplace. The attendant nudged him in that direction, hovering only for a moment until Camyn started walking on his own before leaving the room. Camyn bit down on his lip, remembering what happened the last time he was alone in a room with his Master.

“…M-Master? You wanted to see me?” He fidgeted with his fingers as he came up to the table Lord Aidon was working at. He whimpered quietly at the sight of scalpels and sharp tools lined on the table’s surface. Lord Aidon turned to him, lifting his chin gently with a cold hand.

“You don’t get sick at the sight of blood, do you?”

A lump formed in Camyn’s throat at the question. His lips parted and trembled, unable to answer. Instead, he shook his head slightly.

“Good, sit down in that chair.”

Lord Aidon gestured to a vacant chair near the end of the table. Camyn quickly sat down with shaking knees, afraid they would give out beneath him. As he waited for whatever Lord Aidon had next, he noticed how messy the table was. Bits and crumbs of ingredients scattered, and strange powders collected in bowls next to a cutting board. Plants and herbs cut off at the stems partially crushed or chopped. A scale sat on the other end with its measured weights scattered about, and both dishes were dirtied with bits of powder. His Master might have been wealthy with a noble background, but he was sloppy.

“Drink this.” Camyn’s attention pulled away from the mess and back towards Lord Aidon. A small bottle dangled in the air in front of him, bluish-green liquid filled to the top. Camyn’s fingers trembled a little as he took it in hand. It looked sickly, and had a foul smell that made his nose wrinkle. Lord Aidon shot him a glare in his hesitation, making Camyn flinch before he downed the liquid in one gulp.

“Very good, little elf,” Lord Aidon smirked, reaching out a hand to pat the top of his head. Camyn’s eyes watered, both from the touch and the burning sensation of the potion down his throat. He whined quietly, trying to gulp the taste out of his mouth as his Master kept talking.

“Now let’s see, this mixture will require around five grams… I think ten would probably be better to have on hand. Bite down on this.”

Camyn looked nervously at the bit of folded cloth Lord Aidon now held out in front of him. He took it, unsure why his Master would want him biting on this. When he saw Lord Aidon approach him with a knife and small dish in hand, he flinched and stuffed the rag in his mouth.

“I don’t need you losing your tongue. Hands on the armrests, little elf.”

Camyn gripped the ends of the armrests with wide eyes. His breath quickened as Lord Aidon came up next to him. The blade of the knife tapped against his right horn, the metallic ring filling his ears.

_Ten grams._

Camyn felt the knife before he figured out what it meant. The edge grated against the ridges of his horn, making an ugly sound as it scraped away bits of shavings. Camyn clenched his teeth down on the cloth and screamed, tears streaming down his face as Lord Aidon cut deeper into the horn’s smooth surface.

“Aren’t I clever?” Lord Aidon chuckled through his work, “One would think your kind would be like a goat, that you wouldn’t feel anything in those lovely horns. But you seem so feeble, I just had a sneaking suspicion! Stop squirming, or I’ll catch your ear.”

Camyn struggled to stay still as Lord Aidon cut deeper into his horn. He couldn’t turn his head to see how much he collected into the little dish in his hand. It seemed to drag on for ages, the rag in his mouth gathering drool and tears as it felt like he was chewing through the threads. He wasn’t quite sure when Lord Aidon stopped until he walked out in front of him, the little dish now filled with bloodied shaving from Camyn’s horns. Camyn’s hands left the armrests to pull the rag out of his mouth and hold it against his wound as Lord Aidon weight the shavings.

“Hm, a little over, but that’s far more preferable to having too little. I’m looking forward to seeing how potent the powder from this will be.”

Lord Aidon turned to see Camyn bent over in the chair, his hands clutching the bloody opening on his horn that wouldn’t close like a cut on skin. Droplets of blood were already spilling on his clothes and the side of his chair. He frowned at the sobbing hiccup sounds the elf made.

“Are you going to just sit there and bleed like an animal? Meet the attendant outside, he’ll take you to get the bleeding stopped.”

“Wh-Why, Master…? Why are y-you doing this…?”

“Oh, little Camyn, I don’t think you realize just how special you are. Now that I have you, I have access to a new vastness of experiments and potions. Not that that’s any concern of yours, or course…”

“M-Master… please, please…” Camyn whimpered through his tears, “I—It d-doesn’t grow… grow back, p-please… It won’t grow back…”

“Stop complaining,” Lord Aidon snapped at him. “It’s unattractive. It will grow back. The potion I gave you will encourage your body to regenerate your horn as it was. Now go before you make even more of a mess.”

Camyn didn’t waste a second dashing from the chair to the door, blood quickly soaking through the rag in his hand. The door swung open and he came face-to-face once more with the same attendant. His eyes widened at the sight of the blood.

“Please… I need help…”

“Um, uh, infirmary,” the attendant finally gathered his thoughts, “The infirmary can help. Come.”

Camyn nodded and let the attendant lead him forward. His head throbbed from the pain traveling up his horn. His blood filled the rag and began dripping between his fingers to the floor as they walked. His eyes followed each droplet as it hit the carpet beneath his feet, creating a little trail of dark circles that followed them all the way to the infirmary. 


End file.
